uefa.com Team of 2001: Central midfielders

Tuesday 18 December 2001

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Vote for the best central midfielder of the year for the uefa.com users' Team of 2001.

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uefa.com users have been voting in huge numbers for the uefa.com users' Team of 2001. Voting continues until 30 December and this week the focus is mainly on midfielders. Read the profiles, view the video and have your say.

Stefan Effenberg (FC Bayern München and Germany)With the possible exception of Oliver Kahn, no player represents the spirit of FC Bayern München quite like Stefan Effenberg. The captain of the UEFA Champions League-winning side, he scored two penalties in the final - one during normal time and one during the penalty shoot-out - to demonstrate once more that he has an ability like few others to remain icily cool in stressful circumstances. Voted Most Valuable Player of the season at the UEFA Gala Awards ceremony in August 2001, Effenberg combines the traditional German virtues of discipline and determination with inspirational leadership qualities.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC and England)Born on Merseyside and barely 21-years old, Steven Gerrard's enthusiasm and work-rate are second-to-none at Anfield stadium, and he is the motor that drives the Liverpool side. A constant menace in midfield and a deft passer of the ball, the most frightening weapon in his armoury is his ability to unleash long-range shots of incredible power. He scored in Liverpool's UEFA Cup triumph against Deportivo Alavés in 2000 and was named as Young Player of the Year by his peers in the FA Premiership. Now an England team regular, he has an extremely big future.

Damiano Tommasi (AS Roma)Damiano Tommasi was an integral part of AS Roma's 2000/01 Serie A-winning side. The virtue of so many great Italian sides has been their firm commitment to defensive football, and Tommassi is the epitome of the maxim 'none shall pass'. A tough tackler at the heart of the Roma midfield, his qualities as a defensive midfield player mask his equally well-developed skills as a creative player. An incisive passer of the ball, he excels at doing the simplest tasks well. Not perhaps the most charismatic player in Europe, but certainly one of the hardest working and one of the most effective.

Patrick Vieira (Arsenal FC and France)When it was rumoured in the summer that Patrick Vieira was set to leave Arsenal FC, supporters prophesied disaster for the club. Having been named Premiership Player of the Year in 2000/01, the Frenchman's departure would have seen the London club lose its most influential and consistent performer. A player of immense talent, Vieira is aggressive, remorseless in the tackle and a constant threat with the ball at his feet. Tall and strong, he is every inch a competitor and has scored a number of vital goals for Arsenal as they continue to establish themselves as a major force in European football.

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